POULTRY NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 4031, 16 June 1931, Page 26

POULTRY NOTES.

By

Terror.

“ Man possesses the power and ability to mould, modify, and control the form and peculiarities of the animals brought up under his care, and achieves the first part of his object by breeding from selected types, but unless backed up by intelligent feeding all the skill, knowledge, and observation of the breeder may be easily thrown away.” The foregoing is taken from a work on the “ Science of Feeding,” and is worth noting. However good the strain the novice may be possessed of. it will deteriorate in his (or her) hands unless fed on intelligent lines. Scientific feeding alone will often effect an improvement of the original stock as great as (and certainly more permanent than) the infusion of a superior strain, while the judicious co-

operation of breeding and feeding will bring about desirable results in one generation that cannot otherwise be obtained even in two by breeding alone. Scientific feeding does not mean mysterious apparatus and chemicals. It means simply the handling of familiar animals and foods with a new and fuller knowledge of the possibilities hidden in them. I have frequently seen fowls of no particular breed giving better results in eggs than others of acknowledged good strain simply because they were in good hands. Sometimes it is not even a matter of intelligence on the part of the owner, but merely the result of more favourable conditions generally. The owner of a common garden variety of fowl may pay little attention to his birds, but because of free range rich in such titbits as fowls appreciate the egg yield is good, while the well-bred stock of another and equally careless owner not having such advantages prove unprofitable. The point to realise is, of course, that, given equal conditions in respect to feed, the specially bred “laying strain” will prove more profitable than the nondescripts. It ought not to be necessary to add that even given good strain and good feeding the desirable results will not follow if there is overcrowding and bad housing. Do what one may and let everything else be right, damp premises and lack of sunlight will make profitable output impossible, because only healthy birds can produce eggs in abundance. Two of our local poultry fanciers were most successful at the recent Poultry Show held at Christchurch. Mr M. Carson secured with buff Orpington cockerel first South Island championship, two cups, and two special prizes, and Mr F. Hanson won. three . firsts, four cups, and five specials with black Orpingtons and Rhode Island Reds.

Fresh-cut lawn grass clippings make excellent green feed for poultry. Serve it liberally so long as it does not interfere with their due consumption of mash and grain meals. It is eaten greedily, because the birds like it, and any left over makes good litter when dry.

It is known by all experienced and practical breeders that the first year of a hen’s life is the best for egg production—that is, she lays .more eggs during those 12 months than in any subsequent year. It is also known by them that during the second year the hen will give a bit of profit over cost of food, and her eggs will be larger and more suitable for hatching, and that in the third year

she will not pay in number of eggs laid for feeding, though for reproduction her eggs will still be valuable. Of course, individual instances of abnormal layers may be found when the hen 'will pay her way as an egg producer for three or four years, but of the great bulk of them the statements made above are correct. When hens are not forced for eggs and only sufficient eggs for table use are looked for, I have known of cases where owners claimed that their five-year-old hens have continued to lay as well as first-year layers, and I can believe it. but doubt whether the pullets were of much account.

From the point of view of the utility poultry breeder, a bird which has suffered from any serious illness must be considered of no further value, but as a positive danger for breeding purposes. New stock should be critically examined on arrival for physical defects. A crooked breast, a roach back, and twisted toes indicate constitutional weakness. Look for indications of roup—i.e., running at the eyes or nostrils or foul breath. Look into the throat for whitishyellow patches. Isolate all newly purchased birds for at least seven days to allow of development of diseases (if they exist) before allowing them into the home flock. It is a good plan to buy subject to approval, and the usual term to stipulate for is three days. Too Many Chicks in a Brood.—A serious mistake, but one which is frequently made, is the placing of too many chicks in a brood, with only one hen to take care of them. This happens when incu-bator-hatched chicks are divided between two or more hens, there being no brooder available, and also when three or four hens hatch out their clutches at the same i time, and it is thought that two or three hens can take care of the chickens as well as the full number. It is still worse when two broods, of, sayT’lO chicks each are put with oi*e hen. Small broods almost always thrive better than large ones for several reasons. Also the individual members, of the dutch receive more attention from .the mother when the brood is small than when it is large, and at a later stage, -when they are running

in the fields, the insect food (which is the best of all ’foods for young chicks) goes farther amongst a small number than if there were many chicks to pick it up. From the time the chicks are removed from the incubator culling should be practised. Deformed and undersized chicks should be destroyed without hesitation. It is waste of time and money trying to rear weaklings; they never develop into, profitable stock. Their poor physical condition renders them susceptible to every sort of sickness, and, if allowed to live, they will not only fail to pay their, way in later life, but will be a continual source of danger to the rest of the chicks, as many poultry diseases are infectious. Probably the most important time for culling is during chickhood. Every time a backward chick is noticed it should be culled, and the moment one shows the slightest symptoms of sickness it should be destroyed. By removing the weaklings early in life not only will a saving in the feeding bill be effected, but the remaining chicks will be given more space and chance of full development.

Milk Promotes Health. —About one-half of the dry matter of milk is lactose, and much of the virtue of milk is due to this substance. Lactose turns to lactic acid When milk sours, but practical experiments have shown no difference in results when either sweet or sour milk was feu. Many authorities strongly recommend that sour milk be used, as the hens will consume more. It has a slightly laxative effect, which promotes health, particularly during the winter period; and the lactose or lactic acid checks the development of many disease germs, such as white diarrhoea, or parasitic infections, such as eoccidiosis. Dried milk, milk sugar feed, and semi-solid buttermilk have the came effect. A ration containing 40 per cent. milk is recommended by several investigators as an aid in overcoming eoccidiosis once it has made a start in a flock. Most commercial, mashes contain milk in some form, but in some cases milk given as a supplement will stimulate consumption of the feed. In doing this care must be used to see that the protein content does not become too high.

On account of the size of the Union Company’s new ferry steamer Rangatira, the Lyttelton Harbour Board has decided to extend the length of the Lyttelton ferry wharf by 40 feet. The extension is expected to be finished within four months at the latest, and will be ready for the Rangatira when she arrives from England.

People often inquire how to distinguish a Peking from an Aylesbury duck. Perhaps the simplest way to make the difference clear is by arranging them in parallel columns:— Aylesbury. Peking. 1. Pure white plum- 1. Cream or canary age. plumage. 2. Legs placed near 2. Legs far back, centre of body, giv- giving upright caring flat carriage. riage: 3. Flat head; 3. Dome head; straight beak, which curved or dished should be flesh- beak, which is bright coloured; on some yellow. soils it is yellow. 4. Tail curves up- 4. Tail curves upupward curve. ward in a marked manner. 5. Plumage close. 5. Plumage loose and fluffy, giving an exaggerated idea of size. Reilly’s Report.—A very small yarding of poultry came forward for our sale on Wednesday; prices being on a par with those ruling the previous week. We sold: —Hens—l2 at Bs. 5 7s. 5 6s 4d. 12 5s Bd, 9 5s 6d, 12 5s 4d, 7 ss, 6 4s 6d, 16 4s 2d, 4 3s Bd, 9 3s; cockerels—2 5s 6d, 2 ss, 6 4s Bd. 4 4s 2d. 2 4s. 2 Is 4d; pullets—s 9s. 14 Bs, 3 7s 6d, 2 4s; ducks—- ; 9 7s, 3 6s lOd, all at “ per pair ”: gobblers —7 lOd per lb, 1 Old per lb. Eggs.—The egg market is fully supplied, and sales are slow at 2s to 2s Id per dozen.